General Meeting - Alpha House Field Trip

Please register if you are planning to attend.

Instead of our traditional picnic, we are doing a field trip to CWRU’s Alpha House (see the map below). Alpha House is part of the Case Connection Zone pilot project, which is an initiative to determine how gigabit Internet connectivity can affect people’s everyday lives. CWRU and OneCommunity has wired houses on Hessler Road and Hessler Court with super high speed Internet connections and innovative sensor-based technologies within the homes permitting real time and continuous data usage.

During this 12 month pilot program, residents will share their experience through a series of surveys, focus groups and guided interviews administered by CWRU. Afterwards, the results will be analyzed and compiled into case studies and white papers. Areas to be covered include:

• Healthcare and Wellness
• Neighbor and Public Safety
• Household Energy Management
• Education

The goal of this pilot program is to better understand the challenges and opportunities of providing super high speed Internet connectivity and sensor-based technology programs in the home, and how they affect the everyday life of the average person. The results of this research will be used to measure the effectiveness of the programs for future connection zones throughout greater Cleveland.

In addition to the Hessler houses, CWRU has setup Alpha House above the coffee shop between Glidden House and the Barking Spider Tavern on Juniper Road. Alpha House has several demonstration areas which show how super high speed internet access can benefit our lives.

We will meet at 11am in the first floor coffee shop. Representatives from CWRU’s IT Department will take small groups upstairs for a short tour of the Alpha House. The tour will visit four kiosks which cover

• Energy - Intwine Thermostat & Power Meter
• Public Safety - Panic Button, Security Camera & Console
• Education - Kindle, Flip Video, Video Conferencing with Logitech Webcam
• Health & Wellness - Wireless scale, Video conferencing with LifeSize, Garmin Heart Rate Monitor

In the coffee shop, you can purchase (cash only) international coffees & teas, soups, sandwiches, pasta & homemade pastries while you are waiting. The tours will last about 15-20 minutes. Please register so we know how many people to expect.

After the field trip, consider spending the afternoon visiting the various museums located nearby.

Parking is available on the street and around the coffee shop.

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